Running-board saddle.



W. P. MURPHY. RUNNING BOARD SADDLE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.7, 1910. L01 1,238.

Patented Deo. 12, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

W, P. MURPHY. RUNNING BOARD SADDLE.

v 4 APPLIGATION'FILBD 0GT.7,1910. Lm L Patented Dec. 12,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

LNUINNWF new and useful Improvement in Running' XVALTEE P. MURPHY, OF CHCAGO, ILLINOIS.

RUNNING-BOARB SADDLE.

LLBS.

To allwiom. it' may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER P. MURPHY,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented a Boa-rd Saddles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to freight cars, and more particularly to the Imeans for supporting and securing the running-boards on the roof of the car.

Running-boards are usually secured longitudinally of the car roof at the ridge or .middle thereof towooden saddles which are shaped on their lower sides to fit the sloping sides of the roof and having flat upper faces. The. boards being secured by nails frequently become loose at their ends so that the same spring or warp above the surface of the adjacent running-board, and cause the' brakeman or trainman to trip in running over the cars. It is desirable to make the running-boards of long planks extending in one piece the full length of the car, but b`e' cause of the length of certain cars this is more or less impracticable and the runningboards are commonly made of shorter planks vrequiring two or more to extend the length of the car. This necessitates the securing of the abutting ends of the alined planksto the saddle. Y

The principal object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive device suitable for securing the running-boards to the-saddles and to prevent the nails from working out, and to attain certain advantages hereinafter more fully appearing.

The invention consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

-In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein -spective View of a like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure l is a fragmentary transverse section through a car roof adjacent to a running-board saddle, illustrating an adaption of my invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view partly in section; Fig. 3 is a plan View of the retaining stra detached; Fig. 4 is a view showing a modlcation of my invention; Fig. 5 is aperiller block used in connection with the construction -shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 7 is a view partly Speccation o Letters Patent. i application fue-d october 7, rolo. serian Patented Dec. i2, limi. no. 585,751'.

in elevation showing a further modification of my invention; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 7 and Fig.' 9 is an end View of the latter construction.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. i

are secured to the saddles 1 by nails 4 or,

obviously, the same may be secured by screws. A. metal strap 5 is secured over the running-boards 3 and the same is offset and depressed as at 6 vbetween the runningboards; and said offset portions are secured preferably by screws 7 to the saddle l. In order to adapt'the strap to receive the' screws in lthe narrow space between the running boards, the bottom of'the depression is made straight in order to rest fiat/wise against the saddle, and as long as the space will admit; that is st'antially rectangular. of the strap 5 are bent down as at 8 against the ends of the saddle, and secured thereto. Preferably the end portions of the strap are slitted longitudinally and said slitted or bifu'rcated end portions 9 are folded over diagonally against the strap so that they project in opposite directions therefrom, as shown more clearly to the right of Fig. 3.

to say, the odset is sub- The opposite ends f These end portions 9 are then turned inv wardly against the opposite side faces of the saddle and nailed o'r bolted thereto as at 10. It is preferable to use the through bolts as shown. So, too, instead of using the screws T to secure the depressed portions of the strap between the running-boards, ob'

viously, bolts may be substituted therefor.

As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive, filler blocks or castings l1 are secured on the saddle between the running-boards. These filler blocks are preferably secured by bolts l2 and their upper faces lie flush with the' top faces of the running-boards. The iilier blocks are provided at their opposite ends with inwardly overhanging shoulders or undercut lugs 1.3; and instead of odsetting and depressing the strap 5a, under the inwardly overhan ing shoulders l3'on the Eller blocks 11 which thereby retain said strap against the top faces of the running-boards. The end construction of the strap 5a is identical with the strap 5 above described.

In Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive, the strap 5* is the same is slipped similar to the strap 5 except that the Vopposite marginal portions 14 are extended beyond the opposite side faces of the saddle 1.

In this construction, bolts 15 are inserted through perforations in said marginal por-- tions 14 and vertically alining holes in the running-boards, and said bolts 15 are secured by nuts 16 on their lower ends. By

-. this arrangement the strap is more securely held against buckling. The end portions of the strap 5b are arranged similarly to those of the strap 5.

By the foregoing constructions, running; boards may be securely held on the ordinary Wooden saddles asl the securing nails are prevented from working out.. The retaining straps may also, obviously, be a .plied on a metal saddle Without departing rom my invention; and, obviously, the device admits of considerable modification Without departing from my invention. Therefore, I do not Wish to be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements show n.

What I claim is:

1. In a freight car, the combination with a running-board saddle, of running-boards nailed thereon, and'a metal strap laid transversely over said running-boards and the securingy nails therefor, the ends of said strap being slit lengthwise and turned down 'over the ends of the saddle and the slit portions being folded diagonally and bent around against the sides of said saddle, and horizontal bolts extending through said saddle and the slit end portions of said strap and secured to said saddle. j

2. Ina freight car, thecombination-With a running-board saddle, of running-boards, devices for securing' said boards to said saddles, and a metal strap laid transverse-ly over said running-boards and the securing devices, .the opposite end portions of said strap being bent down against the ends of said saddle and having extensions bent inwardly and secured to the opposite side faces of said saddle.

3. The combination with a runningboard saddle, of running-boards securedl thereon, anda metal strap laid transversely over said running-boards and having 'its opposite ends turned down and secured to said saddle, the

side marginal portions of said strap being' anda metal strap laid transversely over said rulnnngfboa rds, the opposite end portions of said strap being turned down against the ends of said saddle, and said opposite end nally and bent inwardly against the opp@ site sidevfaces oi. said saddle and secured thereto.

Signed at St. Louis, Mo., this 29th day of September, 1910. y Y' WALTER P. MURPHY.

Witnesses: G. A. PnNNrNG'roN,

IVM. J. BAGGERMAN.

.70 portions of the strap being slitted longitudi- 

